1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to soluble copper alkoxide compositions useful, for example, as a superconducting ceramic precursor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recent advances in superconductor metal oxide technology have identified the composition YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 Oy, where y can range from 6.4 to 7.1, as a potential superconductor of high interest. It would be of interest to be able to provide a soluble copper alkoxide reagent which could function as a precursor for such a composition, if it were to be made by chemical means (e.g., using sol-gel technology) from such an alkoxide.
G. M. Whitesides et al., in J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 96:9 (May 1, 1974), pp. 2829-2835 mentions the synthesis of certain copper (I) alkoxides. It indicates that, with the exception of copper (I) methoxide, the copper (I) alkoxides were soluble in ether at 0.degree. C. and that most were also soluble in hydrocarbon solvents, although copper (I) cyclohexoxide and cyclopentoxide provided notable exceptions. Whitesides et at. cited earlier work by G. Costa et al. appearing in J. Inorg. Nucl. Chem., 1965, Vol. 27, pp. 281-285 relating to the insolubility of copper (I) methoxide. T. Tsuda et al., in J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 94:2, Jan. 26, 1972, pp. 658-659 identify cuprous tert-butoxide as being soluble in organic solvents and being a new and useful metalation reagent.
3. Related Application
Pending European Patent Application No. 87200842.0, filed May 8, 1987 and to be published under Publication No. 244,917 on Nov. 11, 1987, describes certain organic solvent soluble, alkoxy alkoxides of Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Sc, Y and La where the ligand connected to the metal atom through the oxygen atom is derived from an alkoxy alkanol.